Time travel, quick transmigration

"Let me teach you how to ride a horse."

Helpless, Xiao Huanling had no choice but to change the subject.

Shi Yan was also very much looking forward to learning to ride a horse, so she readily agreed. She hadn't missed Xiao Huanling's bright red earlobes and the slight blush on his face. She didn't want to say anything more that would embarrass Xiao Huanling, even though what she said was the truth.

"I'm a little scared to ride a horse alone, so please take good care of me."

Shi Yan used Xiao Huanling's help to mount the horse, trying her best to calm herself down.

Xiao Huanling gave her a reassuring look, then told her some things to be careful about before taking the reins and leading Liuyun forward.

"I'll take you for a few slow laps first, and then you can try to control the speed yourself. Don't be in a hurry. Learning to ride a horse and being able to ride well takes time. We have time, so you can take your time. Safety is the most important thing."

Shi Yan nodded upon hearing this, and followed Xiao Huanling's pace as Liu Yun carried her slowly across the grass.

Xiao Die, who stayed at Huanqing Residence, relayed Shi Yan's instructions to Qing Feng. Qing Feng even gave her a bottle of heart-nourishing and mind-calming pills. She took the pills back to Huanqing Residence, then took a rag, fetched water, and cleaned every part of the residence.

The four Imperial Guards left by Li Longji to protect Shi Yan and observe her movements remained hidden outside the Dongling Temple, not daring to reveal their presence. They could only lie in wait and keep an eye on the temple's movements. When one of them learned from Yunying and another female Taoist priest that Shi Yan had missed the morning classes due to a relapse of her headache, they immediately became uneasy.

They were strictly ordered by Li Longji not to be discovered by the people in Dongling Temple, especially not by the people in Huanqing Residence. Even if they wanted to go to Huanqing Residence to find out what was going on, they were afraid of being discovered by Shi Yan and his servants and being punished by Li Longji.

"We don't know how serious Lady Taizhen's headache is. If something goes wrong, His Majesty will surely punish us for our dereliction of duty. When the punishment comes, we may not be able to bear it."

Those who were close to protecting the emperor were well aware of his ruthlessness. They could die loyally to protect their master, but they could not lose their lives because of a woman.

"Xiao Shen, you will go to the palace and report to His Majesty the news that Lady Taizhen's headache has relapsed."

"This is to be left to the three of us."

"Remember to go and come back quickly."

The man named Xiao Shen responded with a "yes," and with a light touch of his toes, he leaped down from a tall tree trunk and disappeared in a few bounds.

After returning to his palace from court, Li Longji changed into a set of imperial robes with the help of Gao Lishi. He then sat down on a couch, holding a memorial in his hand, his eyes filled with dark anger.

“Since Zhang Jiuling was dismissed from his post, these people have all been feeling indignant on his behalf. I see that they are all keeping quiet and pretending to be honest, but in fact they are expressing their dissatisfaction to me.”

“Zhang Jiuling opposes me at every turn. If I tolerate and forgive him again and again, where will I put my face?”

"The people of Guanzhong are suffering from drought and have no food to eat. The situation is critical. I asked them to recommend someone to go and provide disaster relief, but they all started arguing in the court. I asked them to come up with a plan, but they all became mute."

"This is truly infuriating..."

"Li Shi, go and summon Li Linfu to see me. Is this prime minister useless at a crucial moment, or is he just a good-for-nothing...?"

When Gao Lishi saw Li Longji throw down the memorial in his hand, he nervously accepted the decree, carefully picked up the memorial lying on the ground and placed it on the table, then bowed his head and withdrew from the palace.

After Gao Lishi left, Li Longji, having vented his anger, picked up the tea on the table and took a couple of sips, which made him feel a little better.

Gao Lishi was about to order his men to summon Li Linfu to the palace to meet the emperor after leaving Ganlu Hall when Xiao Shen, who was coming to the palace from Dongling Temple to see the emperor, happened to run into him.

Upon seeing Gao Lishi, Xiao Shen's mind raced, and he stepped forward to greet him.

"Eunuch Gao, where are you going?"

"I have urgent business to report to the Emperor."

Xiao Shen was tall and burly, almost half a head taller than Gao Lishi.

Gao Lishi knew where Xiao Shen came from, and that the matter he was reporting must be related to someone, so how could he take it lightly? Raising his head to look Xiao Shen up and down, Gao Lishi said in a low voice.

"But what does Lady Taizhen have to report to His Majesty?"

"Just speak plainly, and I will report to His Majesty. His Majesty is busy with state affairs, so please do not disturb him."

Xiao Shen understood Gao Lishi's implication.

“Eunuch Gao, Lady Taizhen’s headache has flared up again, and we don’t know how it is. We are all at a loss, so after some discussion, I decided to go to the palace to report the news to His Majesty.”

"It just so happens that I ran into you, but I didn't dare to disturb His Majesty, so..."

"Alright, you've delivered the message, now leave the palace. Keep a close eye on the lady's condition. I'll speak to His Majesty."

Gao Lishi interrupted Xiao Shen.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Shen bowed to Gao Lishi.

"Xiao Shen thanks Eunuch Gao in advance, and will take his leave now."

With that, he turned and strode away.

Gao Lishi frowned, and after some deliberation, decided to leave the palace to see Li Linfu first. No matter how important state affairs were, he could not keep Li Longji waiting in the palace for too long.

At the Yang residence, those who had heard some rumors were gathered together, secretly discussing the rise and fall of the family.

"Brother, has Yu Huan really been ordered by His Majesty to become a nun and enter the Taoist sect to cultivate?"

"But did Yu Huan do something that violated royal taboos, or did something that displeased His Majesty? Otherwise, why would she choose to become a nun instead of a princess?"

"It's over, disaster is imminent, will our Yang family also be dragged down..."

A beautiful young woman in gorgeous clothes clenched her fists and looked at her brother Yang Guozhong with a panic.

"Jade Hairpin, shut up."

"You're so afraid of the slightest disturbance, what kind of behavior is that?"

"His Majesty has his reasons for ordering Yu Huan to become a nun and a Taoist priestess. How can you and I presume to speculate?"

"If Yang Guifei had truly angered His Majesty, our Yang family would have already suffered misfortune. There would be no time for you to whine and cry here."

Yang Zhao (Yang Guozhong) had a premonition that his Yang family would soon enjoy a period of great prosperity and honor in the Tang Dynasty, and that he, Yang Zhao (Yang Guozhong), would rise to prominence and become a powerful figure. His previous attempt to establish a kinship with Yang Yuhuan was merely a ploy to curry favor with the imperial family through this cousin. Now, Yang Yuhuan's becoming a Daoist nun might not be a sign of impending doom for the Yang family, but rather a rare opportunity.

Even so, he couldn't help but feel worried.

"If only I could meet with Yu Huan, at least I could find out what exactly happened and what the Emperor's intentions were."

He always understood that opportunities had to be created by oneself, and he would not be truly happy if his desire for power could not be satisfied.